Magnetic means for moving miniature boats.



E. MYERS L MAGNETlC'MEANS FOR MOVING MINIATURE BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED Jun 12 Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

' Inventon L .E.Mg'ers,

I To all uihom it may concern:

- STATES PATENT oFF IoE.

LOUIS n. mzn is; or cmcaao, murmurs.

MAGNETIC MEAIdS FOB MOVING MINIATURE BOATS.

Be it known that I, LOUIS E. Mxnns, a citizen of the United States,residin at Chicago, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Magnetic Means for MovingMiniature Boats, of which the follow ing is a specification i,

The present invention relates tovan improved means for imparting motionto min iature ships in models or miniature repro-'- ductions ofmarinescenery, as, for instance,- in the reproduction on a small scaleat the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco of thePanama Canal and parts adjacent thereto.

The object of the invention is to provide means for so moving the shipswhich will be entirely out of view of the observer, and by which theships can be caused to move in the desired direction as nearly aspossi-' ble in the same manner as if they were propelled by their ownpower.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1.- is a vertical sectional View ofa portlon of the apparatus, certain parts being shown in side elevation;Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of a truck and a magnet supported thereby;Fig. 3 is a broken plan view of a portion of the apparatus, certain,electrical, parts thereof being shown diagrammatically.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates a frame forming the base of aminiaturereproduction of the bottom of the ocean .or other body ofwater. This frame is covered with tar paper 2, and a layer 3 of concreteis then laid on said tar'paper, its upper surface being suitably coloredto give apparent depth to the water thereover, or to present theappearance of the ocean bottom. A suitable containing wall 4, a portiononly of which is here shown, is provided to form a receptacle in whichwater of a. suitable depth is supported upon said concrete floor and insaid water is immersed a miniature ship 5.

From the keel of the ship depend, at a considerable relative distancefrom each other, two rods 6, the lower ends of which are threaded, andupon said lower ends is supported, by nuts 7, a softiron bar 8. To theterminal portions of said bar are hinged, as shown at 9, pole pieces 11,their lower s emmaon of mun 2mm. at t 15, 1 A ucuon meaiune12,1915.Seria11o. 88, 850.

ends being.extendedrearwardly to constitute pole plates 12, said bar,pole pieces and pole plates thus 'constitutingan armature for anelectro-magnet. Each. pole piece is h nged to the bar so that it canswing therefrom ln the rearward direction only, so that if either polepiece should meet with an obstruction beneath the surface of the water iit would swing rearwardly and pass over sald obstruction. Each polepiece is, howto the; bar, so that the spring insures; the

immediate return: of the pole ,pieCe to, its. normal or verticalposition.

tricity. On said rails I can roll wheels. 16,

17 of a truck 18, .Swiveled to permit the truck toturn' with the track,the adjacent ends of the two sections of the truck being connected byapin'19. The wheels 17 on oneside of the truck are-insulated by suitableinsulating material 22 from the rail 14 upon which they travel. In eachsection of the truck is supported an upright 23, one

of said uprights being supported in a slot 21 in said supportingsection. -Upon the upper end of each upright is secured a band 24,within which bands is contained an electro-magnet 26. On the rail'14 isa contact roller 28 supported by an arm 29 extending from an insulatingiec'e 31 secured to one of said bands, sai arm being velectricallyconnected by a vconductor 32 to one end of the coil of'wire wound aroundthe core 33 of said electro-magnet, the other end of said coil beingconnected by a conductor 3 1 with the other band and being thuselectrically connected with the wheels 16, and with the rail 13' onwhich said wheels run. Theends of said core are bent upward into closeproximity with the under side of the frame 1, and the pole "plates 12move inclose proximity ,to the upper side of the concrete floor. A draftbar 36 is attached to the front end of said truck, to

which is pivotally connected, as shown at 47, one end of a coupling 48in sections pivoted together at 49, the other end of ever, engaged bythefree .end of a spring 7 I 10, the other endof which is fixedly securedsaid coupling being rotatably mounted on a clamp 51 secured to a cable52 for drawing the truck upon the track. a

For the purpose of enabling any one of the ships to be withdrawn fromthe main portion of the miniature ocean visible to the spectator, thereis provided a partition wall 37 having two openings 39, 41, and forminga basin separated from said main por-- tion, both of said openings beingpreferably concealed from the spectator by an island 42 or othertopographical feature. The

track extends under the openings 39, 41, so

that the ship travels into and out of said basin through said openings.,While in the basin, it is possible at any time to remove any ship forrepairs-or otherwise and re place it in the basin over the trackthereunder, so that it can be conducted from said basin by a magnet onsaid track entirely out of the view of the spectator.

For the purpose of apprising an attendant of the-approach of a magnetwhich is not already engaged in conducting a ship on its course, inorder that he may place the ship over the magnet, each magnet, when itarrives at the basin, engages a spring contact 43 which closes a circuit44 through a bell 46, and, by the ringing of said bell, apprises theattendant when a magnet is passing.

I claim 1. -In combination, a receptacle for Water, a miniature ship inwater in said receptacle, an armature extending longitudinally of theship and supported thereby and having poles in close'proxi'mity with thebottom of the receptacle, a track beneath said receptacle, a truck onsaid track, and a magnet carried by said truck, the poles of said magnetextending in close proximity with the bottom of the receptacle.

2. In combination, a receptacle for water, a miniature ship in water insaid receptacle, an armature extending longitudinally of the ship andsupported thereby and having poles in close proximity with the bottom ofthe receptacle, a track beneath said receptacle, a truck on said track,an electro-magnet carried by said truck, the core of said magnet havingupwardly directed poles extending in close proximity with the bottom ofthe receptacle, and means for including said magnet in an electriccircuit.

3. In combination, a receptacle for water, a miniature ship in water insaid receptacle, an armature extending longitudinally of the ship andsupported thereby and having poles in close proximity with the bottom ofthe receptacle, a track beneath said receptacle, a truck on said track,an electro-magnet carried by said truck, the core of said magnet havingupwardly directed poles extending in close proximity with the bottom ofthe receptacle, and means for electrically upwardly directed polesextending in close proximity with the bottom of the receptacle, andmeans for including thecoil of said magnet in an electric circuit.

5. In combination, a receptacle for water, a miniature ship in Water insaid. receptacle, an armature extending longitudinally of the ship andsupported thereby and having poles in close proximity with the bottom ofthe receptacle, a truck on said. track, an electromagnet carried by saidtruck, the core of said magnet having upwardly directed poles extendingin close proximity with the bottom. of the receptacle, means forinsulating therefrom the wheels on one rail, a metal roller on saidrail, an arm supporting said roller, and insulating meansv forsupporting said arm upon said truck.

6.- In combination, a receptacle for water, a miniature ship in water insaid receptacle, an armature comprising a soft iron bar extendinglongitudinally of the ship and sus pended therefrom, pole piecespivotally supported by said bar at the ends thereof and dependingtherefrom, said support permitting the pole pieces to swing rearwardly,springs supported by said bar and engaging said pole pieces to returnthem to a vertical position when moved therefrom, a track extendinghorizontally beneath said receptacle, a truck on said track, anelectro-magnet carried by said truck, the core of said magnet havingupwardly directed poles extending in close proximity with the bottom ofthe receptacle, and means for including the coil of said magnet in anelectric circuit.

7. In combination, a receptacle for water, a miniature ship in water insaid receptacle, an armature suspended from said ship in close proximitywith the bottom of the receptacle, a track beneath the receptacle, atruck on said track, a magnet on said truck, a partition in saidreceptacle forming with the wall of said receptaclea retiring basin andhaving openings therethrough, and means in said receptacle forconcealing said openings from the view of the spectator.

8. In combination, a receptacle for water, a miniature ship in water in'said receptacle, an armature suspended from said ship in close proximitywith the bottom of the receptacle, a track beneath the receptacle, atruck on said track, a magnet on said truck,

a partition in said receptacle forming with the wall of said receptaclea retiring basin and having openings therethrough, means in saidreceptacle for concealing said openings from the view of the spectator,and a signaling device arranged to be actuated by the movement ofa,magnet on the track beneath said basin.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing 10 witnesses.

LOUIS E. MYERS.

